Geographic and sectoral structure of global investment flows in the context of international technological exchange

Gurkov Rodion

The article discusses the main trends, direction and sectoral cross-section of the world investment flows, as one of the main mechanisms of international technological exchange (technology transfer). The author analyzes world investment flows based on the statistical indicators of the outflows and inflows of FDI over the last thirty years. At the same time, the author analyzes the sectoral structure of FDI based on the available data on mergers and acquisitions. The author concludes that developing countries are building capacity and changing the direction of FDI from West-West and South-West to South-South and West-South. At the same time, the key industries receiving the largest volumes of FDI are financial services, the oil and gas industry, telecommunications and electronics, the pharmaceutical industry, and software development.

Keywords:international technological exchange, technology transfer, global financial market, foreign direct investments, mergers and acquisitions, high-tech industry, technologies, developing countries, South-East Asia.